COMMONGROUND VOLUNTEERS BRING STORIES FROM THE FARM TO AUSTIN

JUNE 2013

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Jun. 7: CommonGround volunteers are sharing the story of food and farming with bloggers from across the country today and tomorrow at the BlogHer Food conference in Austin, Texas.

With more than 500 leading female bloggers on subjects including food and nutrition in attendance, Iowa farmer and blogger Sara Ross and South Dakota farmer and blogger Morgan Kontz are helping share a farmer’s perspective on a variety of current issues, including GMOs, organic farming, antibiotic use in livestock, and the prevalence of family farms, while they deepen their relationships within the blogging community.

“We have received an incredible response from the other bloggers in attendance so far,” said Ross. “All of us have so many common bonds; we all have a particular interest in food, in sharing our story, and in doing what is best for our families. There is such a strong desire here to really delve into every aspect of American food and, as farmers, we bring a unique perspective to a receptive, engaged audience.”

Today, Kontz and Ross engaged with women who blog on a wide array of food-related topics as well as representatives of food-centric organizations, including Bono’s One Campaign. Speaking from their personal experience in an open, honest way, the volunteers have opened a dialogue with influential bloggers. This dialogue will have a ripple effect as these relationships bring a farmer’s voice to food conversations.

Tonight, the women will participate in a special dinner hosted by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance at a small farm outside of Austin. There, they will join their voices with other farmers to foster an in-depth conversation with 40 top bloggers over dinner and a farm tour.

BlogHer Food 2013 brings food bloggers together to learn, share and inspire one another. The conference, which is organized by BlogHer, is now in its fifth year and continues to grow in both size and influence.

BlogHer is the largest community of women who blog with 55 million unique visitors per month. Offering some of the best conversations led by women in social media, BlogHer presents a curated selection of authentic voices. It offers life, well said.

CommonGround was founded by the National Corn Growers Association, the United Soybean Board and their state affiliates to start a conversation about food between the women who grow it and the women who buy it. With state affiliate programs in 16 states and more than 110 volunteers, CommonGround brings farmers to the table for food discussions and helps consumers eat fearlessly.